How Amnesty International hopes to brighten the world's perception of refugees on The Drum's Do It Day 2016
Amnesty International's Hassan Khan hopes a social media campaign around birthdays will change perceptions of refugees in countries where xenophobia and fear are the prevailing discourses. The campaign idea was chosen by the charity to be executed on The Drum's Do It Day next month.
Amnesty International turned to Do It Day with a huge brief asking creatives to change the perception of refugees in countries where the dominant discourse remains one of ‘fear and xenophobia’. Hassan Khan, the charity’s global brand partnerships, campaigns and communications international secretariat, advised teams to avoid ideas filled with doom and gloom and instead focus on the positives refugees could bring to their new home countries.
Targeting 18-34 year-olds in countries like the UK, US, Australia and across the EU, the two teams immediately set about creating ideas to humanise the masses of people displaced by war and conflict with ideas including: Tinder-style apps to match people with refugees; Airbnb-inspired hosting programmes; ‘digital shoebox’ welcome packs, and Ice Bucket Challenge-like creative ideas designed to go viral.
The winning team’s idea, #KnowOnePerson, focused on reframing refugees as “just like us” with a campaign matching people with a refugee who shares their birthday because “100 per cent of people have a birthday, and 100 per cent of people share their birthday with someone else”.
#KnowOnePerson will now progress to Do It Day on Thursday 10 November when people from all over the world will be invited to share their date of birth with Amnesty to be matched with a refugee, receiving their picture and a short bio along with a link you can share with friends and family so they can get to #KnowOnePerson too.
Book your ticket for Do It Day - 10 November - here.
Winning team: Viktoriya Ulasavets, account coordinator, Bing Ads EMEA; Emily Clayfield, SEO consultant, Builtvisible; Jo Jephcott, creative, Kitcatt Nohr; Mike Hollingbery, chief executive officer, Bozboz; Emma Rookledge, head of TV, Krow; Alistair Duncan, chief strategy officer, Splash WW.